Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Afghan citizens evacuated during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 are languishing in limbo in at least 36 countries, according to documents obtained by human rights groups. These evacuees, many with pending applications to enter the US, face deteriorating conditions, family separations, and fears of deportation in facilities described as prison-like.
Records reveal that hundreds of Afghans remain stranded in sites across the UAE, Qatar, Kosovo, and Germany, despite US pledges to resettle them. Some facilities, such as Abu Dhabi’s “Emirates Humanitarian City,” have been condemned for arbitrary detention, poor medical care, and severe restrictions on movement. Suicides and hunger strikes have been reported in other camps.
The US government, while processing resettlement cases, has been criticized for delays and systemic flaws. Only 0.3% of humanitarian parole applications between 2020 and 2022 were approved, and nearly 40% of “special immigrant visa” applications for those who worked with the US government have been rejected.
Advocates accuse the US of breaking promises to prioritize Afghan allies. Many evacuees, desperate for stability, have undertaken perilous journeys to the US through Latin America or returned to Afghanistan despite the risks.
The documents underscore the ongoing plight of Afghan evacuees and call into question the effectiveness of the US resettlement process, which some critics say was designed to be unnecessarily arduous.
